QUEENS, N.Y. – Xavier University scored early goals on both sides of halftime to hand the St. John’s University a 3-0 Big East defeat at Belson Stadium Sunday afternoon.

Goalkeeper Meredith Reinhardt made a season-high nine saves for the Red Storm (4-11-0, 1-5-0).

Xavier (11-3-2, 4-2-0) wasted no time getting on the board, as the league’s leading scorer Samantha Dewey found the back of the net in the eighth minute. Sydney Schembri sent a ball into the box that found Dewey, who powered a shot to the right corner of the cage for her 13th goal this season.

Only three minutes into the second half, the Musketeers found the back of the net for the second time on the afternoon. Sophomore forward Brooke Sroka sent a volley to the far corner of the cage, extending Xavier’s lead to 2-0 early in the second stanza.

In the 63rd minute, St. John’s had its best scoring opportunity of the contest. The sequence began as sophomore Kayla Mesaros sent a pass up to an open Zsani Kajan. The Budapest, Hungary, native moved toward the top of the box and fired a shot that rang off the crossbar.

With just over two minutes left, the Musketeers scored their final goal as Maddie Thiss netted her first score of the season.

The Johnnies travel to Villanova University Thursday at 4 p.m.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.